bee help

[benmorgan]

hello

sorry for either repeating things or just clogging everything up with bee help things...

i think i'm right in saying that the bumblebee is becoming quite endangered too, now?

anyway, i have a compost heap that i used to use regularly and low and behold some bumbles have moved in. they go in and out through a tiny crack at the base and seem to be numbering nearly 100. obviously it's great to have them in the garden but i'm worried about putting anything else into the compost bin. will this squash them? i feel something should be put in there as they're mulching it down quite quickly and i expect they'll expose themselves soon. i usually pour water into the bin too to aid decomposition but i'm hesitant with this as well...any advice?

plus, at the end of the season should i be wary of the queen hibernating in there until next year?

thanks in advance

[Chris]

plus, at the end of the season should i be wary of the queen hibernating in there until next year?

No. I understand bumble bee queens take flight, mate and hibernate in some crevice or similar hiding place, and not in the nest they came from. The nest dies and disintegrates in late summer.

It might be an idea to add a small amount of lightweight covering to your compost heap in order to keep the nest covered, but I certainly would not add water. They are nesting in your compost heap, and not really making a nest out of it.

[benmorgan]

brilliant...thanks chris...the saddest part of having the bees in my garden is watching them crawl out to die on the lawn :( ...nature at it's work